Music and lyrics by Damon Waitkus

Lyrics

Bring me a knife and bring a whetstone,
batten down the door.
We’re going to forget this empty night
before we find a shore.
Back of my home I dug a hole
and found this tangled knot of wood.
I needed to leave a little scar
before I left for good.

Violent ocean, barren coastline.
Where are all the living things?
Somewhere beneath the surface
within their suffering.
I’ve got to put my hand to something
when I am on the sea.
I”m hoping to find the little man
that sleeps inside the tree.

“In your harbor for a while, we lower our sails.”

If you believe a timid wooden god
could float in on the tide,
look into this desolation
and find a fireside,
Then I will take this warship in,
lash it to the rings,
and trust all my days remaining
to the will of the silent things.

“In your harbor for a while, we lower our sails.”

[refrain borrowed from H.W. Longfellow]

Personnel

DW – voice, acoustic guitar, hammer dulcimer, percussion
EP – banjo
KM – bassoon, voice
JH – acoustic and electric basses
JG – glockenspiel, drums
Nicci Reisnour – harp, melodica